The Insight in the Similarities
by Annarita
Summary: Agent Seeley Booth gets some insight into his relationship with Dr. Temperance Brennan from Captain Harmon Rabb, who had a similar relationship with his own partner, Colonel Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie. I don't think you need to watch both shows for this to make sense. It should be easy enough to follow. Chapter Two 11/4/18.
1. Booth and Harm

**The Insight in the Similarities**

This is set in 2009, so it is a post-finale fic for JAG, and in the Bones-universe it takes place in Season 4 after The Beaver in the Otter.

* * *

McMurphy's Tavern

Washington, DC  
2009

Agent Seeley Booth sat at the bar nursing his second beer. He felt out of sorts ever since Jared was dishonorably discharged from the Navy, and he felt like it was his fault it happened in the first place. He also still had conflicting thoughts on whether or not he did the right thing by not going to India with Jared. He had told Jared that he needed to go to India alone, because his whole life he always had someone standing behind him and now it was time for him to learn to stand alone. However, a part of Booth wondered if that was the biggest reason he said no or not. It was the question that kept bubbling up at the most random times and often kept him awake at night.

 _Did I really mean it when I said Jared needed to learn how to grow up and stand alone or did I not_ _ **want**_ _to go because of something else?_

The last few days had been so emotionally draining, that he needed a change of scenery and felt like going to the Irish pub a few blocks away instead of going to Founding Father's like he normally would.

"Can I get you another beer?" The bartender asked - he was a middle-aged man wearing a white t-shirt, with an Irish-American accent. Booth assumed, based on that accent, that his parents probably came from Ireland and he picked the accent up from them.

Booth finished what was left in the bottle in one gulp and contemplated the question for a moment. "What the hell? Yeah, I'll take another."

"How many is that for you already, Booth?" A voice called. "I am not as young as I used to be, I don't know if I'll be able to keep up."

Recognizing the voice, Booth placed the empty beer bottle on the bar and stood up. "Harm!" He exclaimed as he turned around to face him. "I'm glad you could make it."

The men shook hands. "You're lucky that I was in DC this week for a conference. I don't leave London much these days – sometimes it's the perks of being in charge, but other times, it's definitely the downside of being in charge," Captain Harmon Rabb, Jr. said as he walked towards the bar and sat on the empty stool to the left of Booth.

"Hey, Sam, get my friend whatever he wants and put it on my tab."

"Sure thing," Sam said as he came back to their end of the bar with Booth's new beer. "Well, I'll be!" He exclaimed. "Harmon Rabb! How the hell are ya? I almost didn't recognize you without that pretty brunette that was always with you. Johanna never let me live it down that she worked the night of your engagement celebration and I didn't."

Harm flashed his usual flyboy grin as images of Sarah MacKenzie flashed through his mind – along with the red dress she had on the last time they were here together. "Good to see you, too, Sam."

"You two know each other?" Booth asked, his mind working at a slightly slower pace thanks to the alcohol.

"Harm here was one of my most loyal customers; until the Navy sent him across the pond." Sam explained. "I'll be right back with your usual."

"You remember my usual?" Harm asked, surprised.

"I always remember my best customers – even if they end up moving far away. That pretty lady of yours likes a tonic water with a squeeze of lime." Silently, thinking to himself about the _one_ time she asked for vodka in it. After that night, she never asked for vodka again, and Sam always figured she was an alcoholic and that was the night she slipped. "I'll be right back with your drink." Sam disappeared to gather a beer for Harm.

"I looked into your brother's case," Harm said quietly once they were alone. "I wish I had better news."

Booth nodded. "I figured there wasn't anything you could do, but I still wanted to know what you thought about it. You're the best there is. What did you find out?"

"Everything about the court-martial was by the book. I was hoping there would be a way to argue he had ineffective counsel, but there's nothing to get a judge to reopen the case. I'm sorry." Sam returned with a bottle of beer and Harm took a long sip. "A part of me wishes I would have been the JAG assigned to defend him. These are the types of cases I feel passionately about. I don't think it would have changed anything, though. Commander Mayfield was a lieutenant when I was stationed at JAG, she was a good attorney then, and she learned a lot over the years. She gave your brother a good defense."

"This never should have happened," Booth said as he took another sip of his beer. "He lost everything because of me."

"From what I gathered, you've been getting him out of trouble since he was just a kid. I'd say this balances the scales some."

Brennan's voice played in Booth's mind – _cosmic balance sheet –_ as she once called it.

Booth scoffed. "Bones said something like that to Jared. That's why he did what he did in the first place. I don't even know if he _wanted_ to do it."

"I have a half – brother that I almost gave everything up for, and I didn't even meet him or know he existed until I was in my thirties. It's what you do for family. I think Jared would have done this regardless."

"I wish I could believe that, but Jared never really thought about anyone but himself. Maybe, it's partly my fault for always bailing him out."

"You would have done the same thing if the situation were reversed, right?"

"Absolutely."

"I'm sure Jared realizes that. He didn't just do what he did because Brennan told him, too. He _wanted_ to do it to save you."

"I don't know, Bones can be pretty scary when she's all feisty and angry. He was probably afraid of what she would do to him. She _did_ push him off a bar stool once," Booth recalled.

Harm smirked. "From what I hear, Dr. Temperance Brennan is the most logical and rational person around. She must have had a good reason for doing it."

Booth shrugged. "It was...complicated."

"As is everything about life more often than not." Harm took another sip of beer before speaking again. "This should have been a prime example of when the ends justify the means and agencies cooperated with one another. Hell, I think Jared should have been given a medal. He's the reason your partner was able to figure out where you were – which saved your life – and it resulted in catching the woman who murdered and abducted children and buried two of your colleagues alive. Jared did the right thing. You guys caught The Gravedigger because of him. He even made the initial arrest!" He exclaimed, shaking his head. "Unbelievable that it would end this way."

Harm thought back to some of the less than by the book things he's done in his career and wondered how he still made it to the rank of Captain and was serving as the Force Judge Advocate, Naval Forces Europe, while Jared wasn't just discharged from the Navy, but dishonorably discharged on top of that.

"It all comes down to politics," Harm eventually said dejectedly. "One of my least favorite parts about this line of work."

Booth nodded in agreement. "You got that right. I'll owe you one for looking into this for me. I would have understood if you said no, and I really appreciate the fact that you made time to do it."

Harm shook his head. "You don't owe me. You went above and beyond for us after Mattie's accident. This was the least I could do."

Booth thought back to early March 2005 when he first met then Commander Harmon Rabb...

* * *

A fourteen-year-old girl and her flying instructor were having a flying lesson when an unexpected snow squall caused the biplane to crash. The plane crash was being investigated by the NTSB with the FBI being called in to assist. Booth, then a young agent who was trying to figure out a way to work with the remarkable Dr. Temperance Brennan and solve murders again-even if the first case they worked together ended on less than ideal terms- was the agent assigned to the plane crash case. It wasn't the kind of investigation he wanted – a plane crash – but it was the case that, in some ways, changed him and set him up to be friends with Harm.

When he initially arrived at the scene, his first priority was getting touch with the young girl's parents. He discovered her name was Matilda Grace Johnson – her mother died in a car accident some years ago, and her father was transient and couldn't keep a job. When Booth did track down her father shortly after Mattie was rushed to the hospital, clinging to life, he discovered almost instantly that the man was an alcoholic. He was so drunk that he couldn't even remember his daughter's name. Disgusted, Booth went to the hospital to sit with Mattie so she wasn't alone in case she woke up.

From her bedside, Booth continued his work, determined to get in touch with someone who would care for this girl – an aunt, an uncle, a cousin, a grandparent – anyone. There had to be someone. A phone call to the flight school revealed that the lessons were paid for by a Naval aviator turned lawyer – Commander Harmon Rabb who was currently stationed at the JAG Corps in Washington, DC. At first, Booth found it slightly odd that the military man was paying for a teenage girl to take flying lessons, but he soon learned that there was nothing inappropriate about it. Harmon Rabb once had guardianship of Mattie and served as her foster parent.

After making contact with the commander, it didn't take long for him to arrive at the hospital. "You must be Agent Booth?" A tall man, about six foot four, with dark hair said as he took off his Navy cover and overcoat. He was wearing Navy winter blues, with gold wings, and Booth quickly noticed how accomplished the man was as an officer by all of the medals and ribbons on his uniform.

"Yes, I am. Commander Rabb, I presume?" Booth said as he stood up from the seat beside Mattie's bed.

Harm reached out to shake the younger man's hand. "You can call me Harm. Thank you for getting in touch with me."

Booth pointed to the seat he just vacated and Harm sat down. "I hope you don't mind that I stayed with her. I didn't want her to be alone. You see, I have a little boy and I just couldn't imagine if something like this happened to him and he was alone..." The thought alone made Booth sick.

"Mattie has been through a lot in her life already. I can't thank you enough for staying with her. Her dad has had a problem with alcohol for years, but it got worse after her mom died...her dad practically abandoned her after that. She doesn't have anyone."

"Except for you, obviously," Booth said sincerely.

Harm smiled sadly and reached for Mattie's hand. "I made some phone calls on the way here. We're filing an emergency motion in the morning for me to get temporary legal custody again for the time being. Obviously, her father isn't fit to handle this."

"She's lucky she has you."

"I should have told her to cancel her lesson today," he shook his head, still in shock over the entire situation. "This is my fault."

"No, it's not. The snow squall didn't appear on the radar until it was too late. No one could have predicted this."

Harm didn't say anything, and Booth could tell he was deep in thought. "I'll let you know when the case is closed. Since it was a result of the weather, it shouldn't take long to close it."

Harm nodded.

"Would you mind if I reached out to see how Mattie is doing in a few days? This is one of those cases for me...you know... the ones you'll remember for the rest of your life – the ones that need to be followed up on from time to time."

Harm turned to look at Booth and nodded understandingly. "I've had several cases like that myself and in some of those cases, I never did find out what happened after my involvement was done. I'd never wish that feeling on anyone. Please feel free to stay in touch. You know how to reach me."

"Thank you."

"No, Agent Booth. Thank you for going above and beyond for Mattie, for making sure she wasn't alone. I can't thank you enough."

"It was not your fault," Booth reiterated one last time before leaving the hospital room.

* * *

And now here they were, years later, after having becoming friends and Harm had just repeated those same words – it was not your fault – to him.

"Did I mention he said I should go to India with him?" Booth asked, bringing himself back to present day.

"No," Harm shook his head. "Why didn't you go?"

Booth shrugged. "I'm not sure, really."

"Hmm," Harm said.

Booth shot him a pointed look. "What?"

"It's nothing," Harm said.

"It's something. What were you going to say?"

"There's a reason you didn't go and you know it," Harm raised an eyebrow.

Booth knew that Harm was implying the reason he didn't leave was because of Bones. "Hey, Bones and I, we are _just_ partners."

Harm shrugged and finished off his beer. "Think about who you are talking to for a minute, huh? I used that line more times than I can count during the nine years I was partnered with Mac...and look how that turned out. I married her..."

"Bones doesn't believe in marriage."

"That's a technicality and you know it."

"I would die for her, I would kill for her, I would do anything to protect her, but I don't know if she loves me. I can usually read people well, but with her...with her it's different."

"I don't think it's that she _doesn't_ love you," Harm began as he signaled for Sam to bring him another beer. "From what you've told me about her over the years, I think it's that she doesn't _know_ what being in love is – it's not something scientific that she can study, it's a feeling she has to experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a feeling she _is_ experiencing, but she doesn't know what is. Do you know what I mean?"

It was as if a switch flipped for Booth. No one had ever quite explained it like that to him before, and he was mentally kicking himself for not realizing it himself. "I think I do, actually. Speaking from experience with your own partnership?"

"In some ways, but it was a lot more complicated than that for us – we each had a lot of our own baggage and neither one of us knew what to do with it for awhile. One time, about four or five years into our partnership, Mac pretty much made her move, and I put the brakes on us. We were in Sydney Harbor, and I told her that they once wrote "eternity" on the bridge in lights on New Year's Eve. She asked me if that was how long we were going to wait, an eternity. I told her that location doesn't change who we are. She said most men would disagree with me, and I told her that sometimes I disagree with me, too. I knew that I _thought_ I loved her, but I had to be sure before I committed to something with her. I couldn't hurt her like that if I was wrong. I had to be sure that I loved her."

This was new information to Booth. The two men had become fairly good friends over the years, occasionally helping each other with something for a case or watching a hockey game every now and again before Harm was transferred to London. Even after the move, they still managed to stay in touch, Harm offering updates about Mattie's recovery and life as a married man, but much of Harmon Rabb and Sarah MacKenzie's partnership pre-2005 was a mystery to him. All he really knew was she was a Marine Colonel, they were both lawyers at JAG, and they were partners for nine years. After they both received new orders which would put them on different continents, Harm proposed to her and they flipped a coin to see who would resign their career because that they knew in order for their marriage to be successful, one of them had to leave the military.

Needless to say, Harm won the coin toss and the newly engaged couple found themselves in London. Booth once asked Harm if Mac resented him, and he had said no. He said Mac still had to report to her post before her resignation and retirement was processed, and he said that she had called him every day to tell him how much she hated being in charge like that. Booth couldn't help but to wonder if she was just telling Harm that because she didn't want him to feel bad about the coin toss, or if it was actually how she felt.

"How did you guys bounce back after you turned her down?" Booth asked, curiously.

"Things were awkward for a while. I pushed her into the arms of another man, and our partnership got really rocky after that. It took us sometime to find solid footing again," he said sadly, thinking of all the time they missed. "It was like every single time things got really good something would happen and it would pull us apart. Sometimes, quite literally, to other ends of the Earth. Eventually, we agreed it was time to start over...back at the beginning."

"Do you think your partnership with her made your actual relationship with her stronger?"

"Without a doubt," Harm replied without missing a beat. "Mac is the only person in the world who truly knows me, and I could say the same about her. We know the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. We've saved each other's lives, we've sacrificed for each other...all of that stuff. Out of all the women I've ever dated, Mac is the only one who isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with me in argument and it's great, actually. I'm sure it stems from all those years litigating against each other, but it reminds me that we're equals in this, and I like that."

"Hmm," Booth commented, his mind still thinking of Bones, "so, basically, your relationship is based on the foundation of your friendship, and that's why it's working so well?" He stated as a question to make sure he was following correctly.

Harm nodded. "Absolutely. We've been married for four years and she only made me sleep on the couch twice, so I guess that's not too bad," he laughed.

"Can I ask why it took nine years for you two to figure things out?"

Harm smiled. "Everyone likes to ask that question." He shrugged as he tried to think about the best answer to the question. "Honestly, I believe in fate. I believe it happened when it was supposed to happen. By the time we both got new orders, I already knew I was in love with her– I didn't _think_ I was in love with her, I _knew_ I was in love with her and I had been for years. I guess I just work best under a deadline. But, in all seriousness, Mac once told me I was afraid of letting go and losing control. I told her that in my world, if you lose control, you die, and she told me I wasn't flying a Tomcat and to let go of the lifeline before it became a noose."

"Why didn't you "let go" sooner?"

"I was afraid of messing up our friendship if things didn't work out. I was afraid of losing her forever. A part of me would rather have her in my life every day as just a friend, then to lose her all together in case it didn't work out."

Harm just hit the nail on the head. That was exactly how Booth felt about Brennan.

"Until the night we got engaged, I had always told her that I loved her in some roundabout way. Little, obscure things. Once she said – when you look at me that way, what do you see? And I said – I see a desirable woman. I thought she would realize what I meant, and maybe she did, but she needed the words -the words that I was afraid to say- because saying what I did, didn't accomplish anything. It kept us in a stalemate."

 _Everything happens eventually._

Booth replayed his own words to Brennan in his mind, realizing that it was his roundabout way of telling her that he loved, only he knew for a fact that she didn't realize it.

Harm continued, "Right before we got engaged, I asked Mac what attracted her to all the men in her life. She said that they wanted her and they let her know it. I told her that I wanted her, and she knew that. Do you know what she said?" Booth shook his head. "She said and I quote – Harm, no woman wants to be a mind reader."

Booth's lips curved upwards into a smile, Brennan's voice playing in his head. "Bones would say – reading minds is scientifically impossible."

Harm chuckled. "Maybe if she would have told me that twelve years ago, Mac and I wouldn't have taken so long to -"

"Get your ducks in a row," Booth offered, recalling another line he once said to Brennan.

"Exactly," Harm chuckled. "So, my bit of advice? You said it yourself that _your partner_ doesn't believe in mind reading, you need to make how you feel very clear to her."

Booth drummed his fingers on the bar. "You know, I called you here to get insight about Jared's situation, but I think you helped me in a completely different way."

"I didn't do much besides talk about my wife, but if that helped you, I'm glad it did. I can see similarities between you and Dr. Brennan and me and Mac."

"You know, a lot of people just assume Bones and I are dating or sleeping together or whatever, and a lot of my friends, and colleagues, have opinions on how Bones and I should handle whatever it is between us, but they don't really understand what it's like. I think that's why talking to you about it is so eye opening. You lived it. You worked every day with a woman that you loved wondering if you could ever be more than friends. You know what it is like."

"Believe me, I get it. Sometimes, you have to take risks. Sometimes, I wish I would have taken those risks and was able to let go sooner; but other days, I don't think we were both ready then. I think things will work out for the two of you when you are both ready. There might be some trial and error, but once you are both ready and on the same page, at the same time – you will know, and it will be magical. Trust me."

"I believe in fate, too. Bones doesn't, but I do and that's enough for me to believe it will happen...that I'll know when she's ready."

"You'll know," Harm stated simply. "There might be a time when you _think_ you know, and she's not quite ready, or she'll think she is ready, but you aren't ready," Harm said, speaking from experience, "and it might not play out the way you want it to, but when the time is really, truly right, you will _both_ know. It could be something as simple as seeing it flash across her eyes while you're driving in the car, eating takeout together when you're going over case notes, accidentally touching her back when you open a door for her – it could be any of those things."

Booth waved Sam over so he could close his tab. "Thanks for the help tonight, Harm. Any chance you'll be coming back to DC more often? I'll probably need this advice again."

"Actually, I've been looking for billets that are stateside. London is nice, but Mac and I miss the States. Mattie is well enough to start college. She's been accepted to George Washington University in the fall. We'd like to be close to her, she won't admit it, but she still needs more help than she would like. She's been with us in London ever since she was well enough to travel. We aren't quite ready to for her to leave the nest, let alone be thousands of miles away."

"If she needs _anything_ while she is here, anything at all, she knows how to get in touch with me. Day or night. I'll even vet any potential boyfriends... I have sources; I can do a background check should you need one – off the record, of course."

Harm smiled. He knew Booth had a son, but he could tell what a good father he would be to a daughter someday. "You're a good man, Booth," Harm said as he patted him on the shoulder. "I may take you up on that."

"Same thing goes for you – call me day or night, and I'll pop in to check on Mattie if you and your wife need some piece of mind. Where are you hoping to be stationed?"

"I'm hoping to get something at the Pentagon. Hell, I'd even be happy with my old office at JAG and being able to investigate and try cases on a regular basis again. If that doesn't work out, then once I retire, we'll be back in DC for sure. Mac and I have tossed the idea around of opening a law firm together. It sounds like a pretty great idea to me, what do you think?"

"You'd get to work with her again. I think that would be pretty wonderful."

"Yeah, me too. I miss working with her."

"I couldn't imagine not working with Bones...it's as natural as breathing."

"She's contracted out to the FBI, right?"

"Yup," Booth nodded.

"Then, you don't have to face nearly as many hurdles as Mac and I would have had to if we got together sooner than we did." Harm stood up and Booth followed his lead. The two men shook hands again. "Thanks for the drinks, Booth, but I have to be going. I promised my godchildren we could play a game of Battleship tonight."

"Thanks again for everything. I appreciate."

"Anytime. Keep me posted – and if Jared needs anything, let me know. I'll see what I can do."

Booth nodded.

Harm spotted Sam at the end of the bar and waved. "Until next time, Sam!" He called, before turning to leave the smoky pub.

With Harm gone, Booth sat down to sign his credit card slip. Just as he was returning his credit card to his wallet, his cellphone rang. A smile appeared on his face when he saw who it was. "Hey, Bones, what's up? _"_

" _Do you think I am boring?"_

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he pressed his phone closer to his ear and began to head outside so he could hear her better.

" _Angela made a pop culture reference today that I did not understand. She said I need to watch more movies. I think she was implying that I am boring."_

Booth could hear her slam her filing cabinet shut and turn that lock. "You are not boring, but everyone could stand to watch a few more movies."

" _I prefer to read you know that."_

Booth began walking down the street, towards the Jeffersonian, and knew he would soon cross paths with Brennan. "Out of curiosity, what did Angela say that you didn't understand?"

" _She was telling me about a guy she met at the coffee shop today. She said he was attractive in a "Paul Gleason in The Breakfast Club kinda way, not Paul Gleason in Die Hard kinda way." I told her that I knew who Paul Gleason was, but I had not seen either movie, so I didn't understand."_

"Whoa...wait a second there, Bones. You haven't seen The Breakfast Club _or_ Die Hard? Those are two `80's classics right there."

" _You think I am boring, too."_

"What? No. You know, Bones, I happen to have both of those movies at home."

" _Oh? Perhaps I could borrow them sometime."_

"You don't have a TV still," he pointed out.

" _I could watch them at the Jeffersonian...for research purposes, of course."_

"Yeah, you could do that...or you could come over and watch them...at my apartment...with me. If you want too..." he trailed off because he now spotted her on the sidewalk, walking towards him. He smiled brightly at her.

She saw him and hung up her phone. "That would be very nice," she said once she approached him.

"I'm on my way home now, you're more than welcome to share a cab with me if you wanted to watch one or both tonight," he offered.

"Okay," she answered quickly. "But under one condition."

"And what's that?"

"We stop and get Thai food first. I haven't eaten since breakfast, actually."

"Bones!" He exclaimed. "It's nearly 9PM! You haven't eaten all day?"

Brennan shrugged. "Sometimes, I forget to eat when I'm at the lab."

"Then we definitely need to get you something to eat during our movie marathon." There was a chill in the air and he saw her shiver. He placed an arm around her and pulled her close to him, hoping to keep her warm. "Do I need to bring you lunch every day, Bones? You're a genius, you should know how important it is to eat proper meals..." he began to lecture her as they walked towards the restaurant.

To anyone on the street, they would have looked like a happy couple – teasing each other, laughing, and smiling as they walked together arm – in –arm down the dimly lit street. Only, they weren't a happy couple in the traditional sense of the word. They were _just_ Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth. They were _just_ partners. They were _just_ friends.

For now, at least.

They hadn't reached their "magical moment" yet, but Booth knew it would come.

Eventually.


	2. Brennan and Mac

As this tale continues, it is obviously another post-finale fic for JAG. In the Bones world, it takes place after the Season 8 finale.

This chapter focuses on a conversation between Temperance Brennan and Sarah MacKenzie.

Shout out to MstgSzy - whose comments helped sparked an idea for this chapter.

* * *

Washington, DC  
2013

Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie Rabb sat in the baggage claim area of the Dulles International Airport, bouncing a fussy 18-month old up and down on her knee. "It's way past your nap time, Mister," she said to the fussy child. "Please take a nap for Mommy, huh?"

The little boy wanted nothing to do with his nap today as he was much more preoccupied by this entirely new environment – bright lights, loud sounds, and so many people. It didn't help matters that Mattie's flight from London was delayed and they had been sitting at the airport for nearly two hours past the time she was scheduled to land.

"Oh, Liam," Mac sighed, "is this a sneak peak of the terrible two's?"

The little boy looked at his mother, with his blue-grin eyes focusing on her brown eyes, and Mac could have sworn that she saw him smirk at her before he began to wail again.

She stood up from the uncomfortable plastic seat and gently swayed the baby back and forth. "Ssh, ssh," she soothed. "Please just take a nap, huh?" She gently patted his back. "You need a nap, that's all."

Liam rested his head on his mother's shoulder and then pulled away briefly to look at her again, his eyes heavy this time.

"There, there," Mac soothed. "You're almost asleep. That's a good boy."

The boy placed his head back on his mother's shoulder and two minutes and twenty-two seconds later, Mac knew he was asleep, and she carefully placed him in his stroller and covered him with a blanket.

Moments later, the shrill sound of her cellphone ringing almost caused her to jump and she rushed to answer it before it woke up Liam. "If you would have woken up the baby..." she said after pressing the "Answer" button.

" _Well, hello to you, too, Mac,"_ Harm teased from the other end.

"Hi, Harm," she said softly.

" _How is my little fighter pilot?"_

"He's having a rough day," she sighed. "There was a thunderstorm that kept him awake last night, and now he keeps fighting his nap. He finally just fell asleep, though."

" _I'm sorry, Mac. Has it been like this since I left?"_

"Pretty much. This is the longest you've ever been gone since we've had him. He's aware that you aren't home, and I think that is some of the problem, too."

Harm sighed, this was the longest he's been away from home since 2011 when he was selected to be the next JAG after General Cresswell's retirement, and it was the longest he has been gone since they adopted Liam when he was just three days old in January of 2012.

" _I'll be home tomorrow,"_ he said. _"The NATO conference finished today and I have one more meeting tomorrow before I can leave. I should be home around 2300 hours Washington time."_

"I was hoping you'd get an earlier flight."

" _Me, too, but it's the best I can do. It's the only military flight leaving tomorrow. Did Mattie have a good flight?"_

"Hah," Mac chuckled. "I'm still at the airport waiting for her to land."

" _What? Why? She should have landed hours ago."_

"From what I gather, there was a medical emergency on board and they had to make an emergency landing in Iceland."

 _"Let me know once you guys get home. "_

"I will." Liam began to fuss and squirm around in the stroller. "I have to go, Harm. Liam's getting fussy again. I love you."

" _Love you, too. I'll see you tomorrow."_

"Can't wait, sailor."

The phone clicked off and Mac slipped it back into her pocket. "Daddy will be home tomorrow, I bet that will make you feel better, too, huh, Little Man?"

Across the aisle from her, Dr. Temperance Brennan was experiencing a similar situation. "It's okay, Christine," she said soothingly as she gave the baby her teething ring. The baby found comfort and distracted herself by chewing on the teething ring.

"Teething is just as hard on the parents as it is on the child, isn't it?" Mac said.

If someone would have said this to her before, Brennan would have said – it is much more painful for the child than it is for the parents- but after all these years with Booth, she realized what the woman meant. "Yes. She's getting her lateral incisors now. I wish I could take her pain away."

Mac nodded. "My husband and I had many sleepless nights during the teething stage. How old is your daughter?"

"She's fourteen months," Brennan, replied, as she quickly studied the baby in Mac's arms. She assumed the baby was between 18-24 months, and judging by his features, she didn't think the boy was biologically related to the woman she was speaking to. Again, this was something that she may have pointed out in the past, but between her relationship with Booth, and motherhood in general, she learned how to pay more attention to what she says. Nothing about the woman's behavior appeared to be suspicious, so she didn't feel the need to draw attention to the fact she could deduce they weren't biologically related. "How old is your son?" she decided to ask. The woman beamed with pride, and Brennan rationalized that the child may have been adopted.

"He's eighteen months. I'm Sarah, by the way," she said as she leaned over to shake the other woman's hand.

"Temperance," Brennan said while they shook hands. "Are you waiting on the flight from London, too?"

"Yes, I never would have imagined it would be delayed this long."

"Me, either." The woman's phone rang and she quickly glanced at the caller-id. "Excuse me for a moment. I need to take this. Brennan," she answered, professionally.

Mac watched as Temperance's facial expression stiffened and she tried not to eavesdrop but she could tell that her tone was abrupt.

"It was a medical emergency, Booth," Mac heard her say. "I'm assuming since Parker will be in town you will be home tonight for dinner? … Okay, we'll see you then. Bye." She returned her phone to her purse, and adjusted the baby's blanket. "I'm sorry, that was my..." she began to say before she realized she didn't know what to call Booth anymore. They were more than partners now, after all, they did have a daughter together, calling him her boyfriend seemed too juvenile, and since he called off their engagement, she definitely couldn't call him her fiancée. "Well, to be honest, I don't know what to call him, actually," she finally said, she could have called him her mate, but that didn't feel right either.

"It's complicated?" she asked as she placed a now sleeping Liam back in the stroller.

"Very complicated."

Mac could tell the woman was conflicted about something. "I've had my share of complicated relationships in my lifetime. Do you want to talk about it? I'm a very good listener. And, I'm an attorney by trade," she smiled warmly, "anything you tell me will be confidential."

Brennan contemplated the offer. Having a conversation in the airport with a complete stranger about her and Booth's relationship was not normally something she would do, but she didn't have anyone else to talk about the situation with. She didn't have friends outside of work, and since all of her colleagues were friends with Booth, too, she didn't _want_ to talk to them about it – especially not Sweets, she wasn't in the mood for the psychology behind Booth's actions- and Angela, well, Angela already made her thoughts on the matter very clear. "Well, it might be nice to talk about it actually..."

Mac moved from across the aisle to the empty seat next to Brennan. She situated Liam's stroller next to Christine's stroller. "In my experience, it usually helps...even if you think it won't."

"I don't even know how to describe it in a way that someone can understand."

"Don't worry about that, just talk."

Brennan gave a small smile. "I'm a scientist," she explained. "I like facts and evidence. I like things that can be studied and understood universally. I'm not good with feelings, and psychology and relationships."

"Most people aren't good with those things," Mac offered.

"Booth is usually pretty good at those kinds of things. He's the one that helped me to see the word differently."

"And Booth is?"

"Christine's father," she couldn't help the smile. "My partner. The man that things are very complicated with." Her expression changed and she looked sad again.

Mac nodded. "Now we are getting somewhere. You said "partner" … do you and Booth work together?" Brennan nodded. "My husband and I were partners, too. We worked together for nine years before we got together."

Brennan was surprised at out of all of the people in the airport, she would wind up talking someone who ended up marrying their partner. If she believed in fate, she would call it that, but she didn't believe in fate. It was just a coincidence. "Booth and I have been working together as partners since 2005. We had sexual intercourse in 2011."

Mac was momentarily taken aback by the woman's bluntness. "I see," she said. "And did things get complicated after that?"

Brennan shrugged. "Not particularly. I think you need some of the back story first. It might make more sense."

Mac nodded. "Go on."

"Booth and I always had this strange relationship. We were always at the awkward place of more than friends, less than lovers. My best friend told me that Booth and I were dating without participating in sexual activity."

"I know all about that." Her mind flashed back to the very first time she had worked with Harm and he asked for "permission to come aboard" as she pulled him up onto the helicopter – things were never the same for her after that moment, and every relationship she ever had with a man never once compared to the non-relationship she had with Harm during that time. Not a single one.

"I never had a stable relationship with anyone in my life until Booth came along...he's the longest relationship I've ever had with a man."

Mac had goosebumps as she recalled saying those very same words about Harm before.

"A few years into our partnership, Booth told me he wanted to give us a chance. I was afraid...I pushed him away. I told him we wouldn't work..."

Mac thought back to Sydney Harbor, when Harm couldn't let go, and then to Paraguay, when he sacrificed everything to save her life and _she_ told him that things would never work out between them.

"...He was the gambler, I was the scientist. Logically, we didn't make sense. I told him he needed protected, and he asked from what. He needed protected from me," she said, sadly, "I didn't have his kind of open heart. He wanted someone to love for thirty, forty, or fifty years. I wasn't ready for that then. I didn't know _how to_ love someone like that. I honestly don't even know if I knew what love was then."

"That wasn't your moment," Mac said simply. "Harm - my husband," she clarified, "and I had something like that happen, too. We were in a completely different country, and I brought up the idea of an "us." He told me that location didn't change who we are, and I told him that most men would disagree with him. He said that sometimes he disagrees with himself. He wasn't ready then either. He wasn't able to let go then."

The word _moment_ played over in Brennan's mind. She remembered how Rebecca alluded to the fact that turning down Booth's proposal was a mistake. She recalled Rebecca saying that they missed their moment and they didn't catch fire. She hoped she and Booth hadn't missed their moment, too.

Brennan listened as Mac continued talking. "...there was another time Harm and I _almost_ could have worked, but I stopped it," she recalled sadly. "I was on an undercover mission that went sour and he gave up his career and disobeyed a direct order to come and save me. We wanted to have a conversation about us, but we were still in a dangerous situation. Eventually, we agreed to table the conversation until we returned home. However, as we were getting in a cab to go to the airport, I just blurted out that "things will never work out between us." I'm not even sure why. I wasn't thinking clearly, and I thought that he would fight me on it, I thought he would tell me why I was wrong, but he didn't. He gave me my space. I'll never forget the look on his face that day. I broke his heart."

"The heart is not a bone. It can be crushed, but not broken," she said matter-of-factly.

"Okay," Mac amended, "I crushed his heart."

Brennan was quite for a second before she spoke again. "There was a time when I was ready, but by the time I realized it, I was too late. You see, after I told him that I couldn't change, we still worked together, but it was awkward. Eventually, he ended up being recalled by the Army and being deployed overseas, and I went on a dig in Maluku. The time away made me understand that I did care for him, that I did love him...I didn't want to run away from him anymore. I was ready to try to make it work."

"It's true what they say. Absence makes the heart grow founder."

"But when he came back, he was dating a reporter."

"Yikes."

"I wanted him to be happy. I was nice to her, I tried to be her friend. I did the best I could. Anyways," she moved on, trying to get back to the point of her story, "we were working a case that hit close to home for me. The details do not matter right now, but the case gave me the courage I needed to tell Booth- and I didn't want to have any regrets. I told him that, but he said that he loved Hannah - the woman he was dating – and that she wasn't just a consolation prize."

"But," Mac began nodding to Christine, "I'm assuming that wasn't entirely accurate." Judging solely by the limited details she had, and her own past experiences, it seemed to her that regardless of what Booth had told Temperance, Hannah was in fact a rebound.

"Correct." She studied her daughter's face for a moment before she continued. "He proposed to the reporter, but she said no. In all honesty, I was glad she said no. I wanted Booth to be happy, and I wanted us to be happy together, but first we had to focus on getting our friendship back. And one night, stuck at his apartment during a blizzard, that is pretty much what we decided. The door wasn't closed on us yet, there was still a chance as long as we could be friends again. We had a common goal that we could work towards – together."

"Been there, done that."

" _So where does that leave us?"_  
 _"I don't know, Mac. At the end I guess."_  
 _"How about back at the beginning?"_

"The night everything changed was unexpected, but so uniquely us." Brennan's voice forced Mac to draw her attention back to the story and away from her memories.

Mac nodded, showing she understood. "I know the feeling."

"One of my interns was shot and killed. He died right in front of us. There was nothing we could do to stop bullet was meant for Booth," her voice cracked. Then, she took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry at the memory. "I stayed at Booth's apartment that night. I crept into to his room late at night because I couldn't sleep and was unable to process what had happened. I had been crying for hours by that point. We sat next to each other on the edge of the bed, and talked about everything that happened a few hours ago. I was so emotional. I needed to be comforted; I wanted to be held – which was so unlike me. I had learned to take care of myself over the years and not to depend on people, but that night was so different. Eventually, I just choked out "Can I just..." and leaned forward. And he whispered, "yeah, that's why I am here" and I just collapsed. He held me while I cried. I felt safe. I felt protected."

"Partners have a way of doing that," Mac said, thinking of all the times Harm had been there for her, both professionally and personally.

"I wanted to be with Booth right then and there. I kissed him and he kissed me back. It was unlike anything I have ever felt before. I was ready, but Booth wasn't entirely convinced I was thinking clearly. He said he didn't want me to have any regrets in the morning, that it couldn't be a one-time thing for him. He said what we had was too important and we had already waited over six years, what was a few more hours."

"He sounds like a good man."

"Oh, he is," Brennan smiled. "He's an alpha male, he's strong, he has good protective instincts, and a great moral compass. He's an ideal mate."

Mac was amused that the woman used such clinical terms to describe the man she loved and had a child with. "You two didn't sleep together that night?" Mac asked for clarification.

"No, not that night. That night we talked – about our past, our present, and our future. We made out like a couple of teenagers, but it didn't go any further than that. I was pretty vulnerable and Booth would _never_ do anything to feel like he was taking advantage of me. That's not the kind of man he is. We had sexual intercourse the following day...after he caught the man that was trying to kill him...and it was Earth shattering – unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Booth always talked of "making love" and I had always told him that was impossible, and launched into a lecture about chemicals and hormones, well," she scoffed, after a brief pause. "I was obviously wrong. Making love was definitely real...making love with _him_ was possible."

"When did things get complicated then? It sounds like everything was going well."

"Things got complicated recently. Booth is a very religious man, and I am not a very religious woman. I always knew that marriage was important to him, but to me it was just a piece of paper. I felt marriage was an antiquated concept, and I warned him that I probably wouldn't change my mind. He said he understood and that if I ever changed my mind, I could propose to him. Well, somewhere along the line, I did change my mind. I knew that I wouldn't be treated like his property by marrying him. I knew that he would always respect me and treat me like an equal. I knew what we had was special. I finally believed in love _and_ in marriage."

"We see what we want to see, when we are ready to see it."

"We were living together, raising a child together, doing all those things that married people do, and nothing was different. He was still Booth, and I was still Bones. That's what he calls me – Bones," she smiled. "I tell him I hate it, but I actually love it. He's the only one that calls me that. The only adult," she clarified. "His son calls me "Bones," too, but that's okay."

Mac smiled, knowing the feeling well. "Harm calls me Ninja Girl – because of my karate and combat skills."

"I'm a forensic anthropologist- that's how Booth came up with "Bones." Her smile grew even wider at the memory.

"You did propose to him, then?"

"Yes, with a stick of beef jerky – even though I am vegetarian- and he said yes. He looked _so_ happy. But later, he rescinded his acceptance. He said we shouldn't go through with the wedding because I made the decision while I was under stress. He said what we have is enough."

"I can see how that would complicate things."

"I did want to marry him. I really did."

"I know," Mac assured her. "I can tell from the way you talk about him. I know."

"I feel so..."

"Hurt?" Mac supplied. "Betrayed?"

Brennan nodded.

"And you feel confused because you never thought he would be the man to cause you to feel that way?"

Brennan nodded again.

"But you still love him, right?"

"Of course," she sniffled. "I don't think I could ever stop loving him."

"What has changed since he turned down your proposal?"

Brennan shrugged. "It's like there is a black cloud lingering over us," she said, hoping she got the metaphor correct. "We just don't connect like we used to. It's like he's preoccupied with something.:"

"Maybe he _is_ preoccupied with something."

"I don't know if that would make me feel better or worse, honestly. We used to be able to talk to each other about everything."

"You have every right to feel the way you do. Never feel bad for feeling a certain way."

"What would you do?" Brennan asked.

Mac didn't get a chance to answer because she was distracted by a tall, handsome man in a suit and a black tie walking towards them. She noticed a badge clipped to his waistband and a belt buckle that read "cocky."

"Bones!" he called out.

Mac watched as Brennan stood up from her seat. She knew she needed to give them their space and she carefully pushed Liam's stroller back across the aisle to where they were before. She pretended to flip through a magazine, but it was all for show. She was completely focused on the scene that was folding out in front of her.

"Booth!" Brennan exclaimed. "You made it; Parker will be so happy."

Mac wondered who Parker was – obviously Parker was the person on the flight from London, but she wondered who this Parker was to Temperance and Booth. Perhaps it was Booth's son, she reasoned.

He shook his head. "I'm on my way to a case, I can't stay. I'll see Parker at home."

"You need me for the case?" she asked. "Who will get Parker?"

"No," he shook his head again. "There's plenty of flesh on this one; Cam is coming with me."

"Why are you here, Booth?" she asked, clearly confused, and her tone still slightly abrupt.

"Because I needed to see you. You sounded upset when spoke on the phone. I needed to know that we were okay."

"We're okay," she stammered – still in shock that he was there at the airport. We're okay for now, at least, she thought silently.

He opened his arms, and she stepped forward, one hand still securely around the handle of their daughter's stroller. He kissed her temple. "I love you, Bones. Don't forget that. Please don't forget that," he practically begged.

"I love you, too," she said softly. "We'll see you at home tonight."

"I can't wait." He leaned down and smiled at the sleeping baby in the stroller. "I love you, too, Pumpkin Pie." He said before kissing her forehead. "I have to go now, Bones, I pulled some strings to park where I did and if I don't leave now, I'll probably get towed."

She nodded.

"Tell Parker I can't wait to see him," he called as he began to walk away.

"I will," she promised. "I will."

When Booth was out of sight, Mac and Liam returned to where they previously were situated next to Brennan and Christine.

"That was Booth," Brennan stated.

"I figured as much."

Neither one spoke as they listened to the announcement over the intercom – the flight would be landing in twenty minutes.

Mac continued after it finished. "To answer your question, I would stick with it."

"Why?"

"Because that man came all the way to the airport to see you and to make sure you two were okay all because of the way you _sounded_ on the telephone. That is not a man who _stopped_ caring, that is a man who cares more than anything in the entire world- a man who doesn't want to lose you...a man who doesn't want to lose his family."

Brennan stared at Mac, not knowing what to say.

Mac continued. "It's obvious he loves you very much. There has to be a reason he declined your proposal, there just has to be. Nothing worth having in life comes easy," she reminded Brennan. "Believe me, I've experienced it myself with Harm. I think that is what makes it worthwhile. Maybe things will get worse before they get better, that usually happens from time to time, but you guys have an eternity to figure things out...as long as you don't forget that your trust in each other is what made your partnership successful and that it is what will also make your relationship as a couple successful, too."

Brennan pursed her lips together, pondering everything this stranger said to her over the last half hour or so. "His behavior...it's not rational."

"Love isn't rational," Mac countered. "Nothing about love is rational, and he is clearly in love with you."

"What he's doing, it's not logical." Brennan basically repeated the last thing she said, unsure what else she could say.

"Lead with your heart, not your brain. His love for you won't change. I'm sure this isn't the first time it has been tested, and I'm sure it won't be the last time."

 _"_ _Entropy is a natural force that pulls everything apart at a subatomic level. Everything changes, eventually." Her changed views on love and marriage were proof of that._

 _Everything_ _ **happens**_ _eventually._

 _Booth's previous words from years ago echoed in her mind and held a completely different connotation now. In the past, she would have thought that Booth was implying that eventually they would be together, but now, after this whole proposal fiasco, she was wondering if it meant that it would be inevitable for them to fall apart._

 _"Love conquers all," Mac said, simply. "Always."_

 _"You sound like him … like Booth. You appear to believe in fate and faith."_

 _"I do," Mac confirmed, memories of the night she asked Harm if he believed in fate always fresh in her mind._

 _"I don't."_

 _"You will. Someday, you will. When you are ready; you will rea_ _lize it when you are supposed to. Fate is what kept me and Harm together for seventeen years. K_ eep your expectations manageable, but most important, you need to trust in the way things work. Embrace the lessons of every challenge, and expect good from everything that seems bad."

"You sound like a fortune cookie."

Mac smiled and said with a shrug, "I heard it on a radio talk show one snowy Christmas Eve – a night that proved to be another point where Harm and I got our friendship back after some tough times. I guess it always stuck with me." She looked at Liam affectionately. "I need to say it every now and then to remember things work out as they should."

Mac realized how open the stranger was with her, and she felt like she should offer something in return. "To make an incredibly long story short, I always knew Harm would be a wonderful father and that I wanted to have children with him. We even made a deal that we would have a baby together _long_ before we even considered a relationship. I knew it was something I always wanted, and I knew it was something I wanted with him."

Brennan thought back to how she asked Booth to be her sperm donor one day, and wondered how Sarah and her husband had the conversation – it was probably not done in the middle of a psychologist's office during a word game.

"But getting there – to that point – wasn't easy. When the time period was up on our deal, and it was time to discuss if we were still serious about it, I found out I had endometriosis, and I pushed him away. I knew he wanted a family, and I knew I couldn't give him one...I only had a four – percent chance of conceiving."

Brennan tried to think of something appropriate to say but she was at a loss. She wanted to be sure she came across as sincere and not abrasive. She couldn't think of the right thing to say as the other woman continued her story.

"When I finally worked up the courage to tell him, all he cared about was me. He wanted to know if I was okay, if I was in pain, how I felt. He researched other methods, adoption, everything. He told me that it didn't matter how it happened, as long as we did it together."

Brennan was getting better at reading between the lines. "He was saying that he loved you, right?"

Mac nodded. "Yes, in his own roundabout way that he usually did. It's funny actually, three years into our partnership, we agreed that we would possibly have children together, but we never said we love each other –then, the next thing I know, it's five years after we made that deal, and we still wanted to have a baby together, but we still never faced our unresolved feelings for each other."

"And then what happened? After he said it didn't matter how it happened."

"I kept pushing him away. I wasn't ready yet, I thought he was just sticking around because he never made a promise he couldn't keep. I didn't truly understand that he was staying because he loved me. But then, when I was ready, he was still there – like he always was. That Christmas Eve night I heard the quote was the night I really thought about giving us a chance, we worked on getting our friendship back, and when we both received new orders to be transferred to different continents, I realized that I couldn't imagine a life without him."

"But you knew you loved him before?" Brennan tried to piece together a timeline based on the information Sarah had shared with her.

"Yes, and I honestly can't even tell you _when_ exactly I did fall in love with him...I just did, without even realizing it. However, I will say, that if Harm would have taken me up on my suggestion of a relationship the very first time, I don't think we would have lasted. We still had a lot of growing to do at that point. I don't think we would have been strong enough as a couple then. But, by the time we ended up together, our relationship was solid and we could handle anything. Which we did,.we moved to London, secured legal custody of a child who was once Harm's foster child after she suffered a spinal injury in a plane crash and her father couldn't stay sober, we tried to conceive naturally, we tried three rounds of IVF, both of which failed, we moved back to Virginia, Harm was promoted to Admiral for his new position, I began to teach law classes and practice family law, we had two adoptions that fell through because the mothers changed their minds at the last minute, and then we had a successful adoption and Liam came into our lives. When I look back, I think about the butterfly effect."

Brennan was familiar with the theory behind the butterfly effect – she had read a paper on it several years ago.

"I truly do feel that everything happens for a reason. All of those happy events, all of those heartbreaking events, they led my husband and I to _this_ moment. They led us to Liam. They made our relationship stronger. I can't help but to think that there is a reason he declined your proposal, and my wish for the both of you, is that when you do find out why, the two of you come back stronger than ever."

"Thank you," Brennan said softly.

"Do you feel better after talking about it?"

"Yes, it helped some."

"I'm glad."

"Bones! Bones! Hi, Bones!" a curly –haired boy called as he ran towards Brennan with a flight attendant at his side, he looked to be about twelve, and Mac could see a family resemblance. Parker certainly was Booth's son.

"Hi, Parker!" Brennan smiled widely and the boy practically tackled her as he rushed to give her a hug.

"Is Dad here?" he asked, as he looked around.

"No, he had a case. He'll be home in time for dinner, and I hear that he's making your favorite."

"Spaghetti?"

"Mmhm," Brennan said as she stood back up and signed the appropriate papers from the flight attendant. "Thank you," she said to the attendant.

The attendant smiled. "It was my pleasure, Dr. Brennan. I had a wonderful time with you, Parker."

Parker smiled at her. "I had fun, too, Nancy. You're as cool as Bones is and she's way cool."

Nancy laughed. "Well, I'm honored. That's high praise. Have a good time in while you're here." She said before turning to walk away.

"Let's call your mom and let her know you landed while we wait for your bag," Brennan suggested to Parker as she hand him her phone. "And then maybe we can go and get milkshakes before we go home."

"Can we stop at the lab, too?" he asked hopefully. It was one of his favorite places to go, and since his dad was working a case, maybe he'd get to see him there.

"Let's see how much time we have, first, okay?"

"Okay," Parker agreed as looked over the stroller and looked at the baby. "Christine is way bigger than the last time I was here. Do you think she remembers me?"

Brennan smiled. "Your dad and I show Christine a picture of you every single day, and that mobile you made her is still hanging above her crib. I hypothesize that yes, she does remember you."

At the same time, Mac spotted Mattie slowly walking towards her, a small limp still evident in her step after years of physical therapy. "Hey, Mac."

"Hi, Mattie. How was your flight?"

"Long. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed tonight."

"I remember the feeling. Did you have a nice visit with your friends?"

"Yes, they want to come to DC and visit here next time."

"They're more than welcome to stay with us."

Mattie smiled. "I knew you'd say that." She spotted her suitcase and pulled it off of the baggage carousel.

"Do you have anything in mind for dinner?"

"I was hoping maybe we could get Beltway Burger - since Harm won't be here to tease us."

Mac smiled. "I'll never pass up a chance at Beltway Burger. Let's go." She maneuvered Liam's stroller through the aisle and began to walk away before looking back over her shoulder again.

Sarah Rabb and Temperance Brennan made eye contact one last time. Brennan mouthed a silent thank you to the other woman for listening to her ramble on about her life, and Mac offered one final, reassuring smile before they went their separate ways.

Maybe it was that her premonitions and psychic abilities got stronger over the years, maybe it was because of the similarities she and Harm had with Temperance and Booth, maybe it was because she believed in fate, maybe it was because she was a hopeless romantic, but for some unknown reason to her, Mac knew that the woman she just met at the airport would marry the man who came all the way to airport to make sure they were okay.

She knew it.

She knew that those two people would be okay.

She knew a wedding would happen.

Eventually.

In its own time.

It _would_ happen.


End file.
